A South Boston alternative to pub fare

Of course, the hot dog costs $8. And the menu’s cutesy appropriation of workingman’s lingo indicates the target audience may not exactly be the workingman himself. Rather than appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees, it offers “schematics,’’ “nuts & bolts,’’ “hand tools,’’ and “fabrications.’’ Not only is this plain silly, it’s confusing. Is the fish and chips — a schematic — a snack or a meal? How about the nut & bolt taco salad? And what makes prosciutto and duck liver mousse “permits,’’ while Vermont goat cheese and Shropshire blue are “approvals’’?

But if Local 149 skews more toward charcuterie and artisanal cheese than meat and potatoes, that’s just fine. South Boston is comfortably home to people of all collars — blue, white, ironic vintage T. When everyone is being served, that’s a successful neighborhood. The day a hot dog at Sullivan’s costs $8, we have a problem.

Local 149 is the new project of South Boston resident Jason Owens, who is also co-owner of nearby gourmet grocery American Provisions and Newton’s Biltmore Bar & Grill. American Provisions emphasizes locally grown products, grass-fed beef, and other ingredients that turn up on Local 149’s menu. The chef is Leah Dubois, formerly of vegan/raw food restaurant Grezzo, now elbows deep in Mangalitsa bacon and short ribs, frying and braising her heart out. She’s even grilling the lettuce, for a fabulous take on a Caesar that incorporates romaine and crispy tofu croutons.

Dubois always made a beautiful salad at Grezzo, and it’s a strong suit here as well. A beet salad showcases roots of all colors alongside tiny quail eggs and pork cracklings. Taco salad is like none other you’ve had before. It puts a Bolognese-style sauce made from pheasant, duck, chicken, and quail together with lettuce and avocado inside cabbage leaves. With these purple petals, it looks like a tropical flower.